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Christmas is fast fading from view. On Christmas eve I was at the supermarket at 3pm complimenting a staff member on their festive t-shirt and in response was told, somewhat sadly, that they had been told it was time to take down the tinsel. Our tree is still up, we are still eating Christmas day leftovers and presents are yet to be incorporated into our lives. So in the blessed peace and quiet of Twixmas, I just have time for one more Christmas post to reflect on Christmas day, food and presents.
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We started organising presents early this year because my mum went to visit my sister in Dublin in October, so she took our Dublin presents there and sent Edinburgh presents from Ireland. I don't have a photo of the presents but I have a photo of one of the lovely Christmas cards made by Sylvia. I love the Australian theme with May Gibbs' gum nut babies.
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A Lindt advent calendar with an assortment of a small Lindt ball every day delighted Sylvia.
I loved these Walkers gingerbread fruit mince pies. The gingerbread pastry was light and short with the spices adding to the delight of the generously filled mince pies.
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Sylvia has been quite into charcuterie boards and created this lovely arrangement in a Christmas tree plate: mini tomatoes; grapes; vegan mushroom deli slices; salad of rocket, tomatoes and olives; brie cheese; and vegan salami slices.
More photos of the charcuterie board and the below pine cone cheese ball at a Christmas Carols picnic can be seen in Christmas sights and lights in Melbourne 2025.
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Sylvia did a lovely job of layering goats cheese and boursin cheese and adding tamari roasted almonds to make a pine cone. It was presented on a bed of rosemary and cherries.
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We always have a real Christmas tree but this year it was a bit more complicated than usual. The Scouts stall, where we usually buy it, was sold out because they had focused on orders this year - we usually rock up and buy one easily. So we went to a Christmas Tree seller nearby but they were cash only so we picked one and then went off to find an ATM before we could take it home.
When we finished adding all our decorations to the tree I stood back to admire it and found the tinsel was missing. Sylvia had put it around the house until the tree was ready but I forgot about it because it was not in the decorations bag. So instead we threaded popcorn onto a string - with lots of mess and a bit of nibbling it - and wrapped it around the tree.
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Tylers Milkbar in Preston always have seasonal cupcakes. Sylvia bought home this georgeou gingerbread cupcake which tasted as amazing as it looked.
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This gingerbread Christmas tree (by Mela Patisserie) was bought by Sylvia at the Coburg Night Market. We were saving it until Christmas Eve but somehow one or two of the top layers didn't make it that far. It was excellent soft gingerbread. Also in the photo are Sylvia's fave Bundaberg spiced ginger beer and a new Isabella Christmas classic soda of pomegranate, cranberry, grenadine, tayberry, raspberry, apple, lemon and lime.
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I really loved the Whittakers Honey Nougat and Almond milk chocolate. It tasted so good with the chewiness of nougat and slight crunch of finely chopped almonds. It had a seasonal packaging that would have made it perfect for a gift. But we just had it to nibble around Christmas.
I also bought Polly Waffle Bites for a present for my dad. It is a nostalgic choice because my sister and I would take turns buying my dad either a Polly Waffle or a Violet Crumble for Christmas each year when we were young. Such great names for chocolate bars!
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On Christmas Eve Sylvia and I were busy cooking for the big day: Cheese and Walnut Nutloaf, Overnight sourdough cranberry nut rolls and Chocolate panforte are recipes I love to have for Christmas day. Sylvia had planned a menu for her and her dad including mac and cheese, mushroom gravy, and some of my nut roast. For dinner we had a simple ravioli with cheese and vegies.
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I felt really organised when I sat down to eat my dinner in front of Carols by Candlelight on the telly at 8pm. Unusually for me I had finished wrapping presents, all the cooking and dishes by them. After dinner we had a little platter of Vegan chocolate mince pies, chocolate shortbread stars, gingerbread christmas tree, nougat, candy canes, cherries and grapes.
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On Christmas morning, we were up early for presents and E came over for Christmas breakfast. Sylvia made a vegan charcuterie board with salami, mushroom deli slices, rocket, pickled red onions, olives, pesto, Damona brie, dolmadas, home made cashew and tofu cheese spread, bread stick and grapes. It was an unusual breakfast but very good. I didn't get out the swiss cheese we usually have but loved having my cranberry nut rolls and cranberry sauce with the spread.
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Then I left Sylvia and E to have a nap before a late lunch while I drove to Geelong to see my family. The trestle table and been brought in to extend the kitchen table and they were set for 14 people with festive tablecloths, candles, baubles and crackers with the Christmas tree at the end. Also in the photo is a cute squirrel for my dad to put in the garden which amused me. A couple of my brothers and their families were away this year so it was smaller than usual.
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My sister Fran brought a lovely platter of cheese, dips, crackers, lives dried fruit, chocolate, cherries, berries and grapes. It was good to nibble on while the presents were opened.
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My family has a lot of meat on their Christmas lunch plate, Every year since I have been vegetarian I have been taking down the same cottage cheese and walnut nut roast to have instead of the turkey, pork, stuffing and ham.
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There are always plenty of vegetables to have with my nut roast - roast potatoes, roast pumpkin, cauliflower cheese and peas. My aunt brought down vegetarian gravy which went well with cranberry sauce on the nut roast.
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For dessert my mum made pavlova, black forest cheesecake and, of course, Christmas pudding with custard. The pudding was quite soft when my mum had boiled it but once it cooled, it firmed up and was delicious (not in the photo).
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When I got home, Sylvia and her dad had just finished the dishes after Christmas dinner but had not had time (or space in their tummies) for pudding. That is still in the fridge waiting for another day. Sylvia did a lovely lunch of mac and cheese, nut roast, roast potatoes, roast carrots, pigs in blankets (vegan bacon around vegan sausages with a cranberry maple marinade), brussels sprouts and pea. I had bits of pieces of the leftovers for tea and we have been enjoying the leftovers in the days since then.
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Here are a few of her gifts up close. They include The Sticker Treasury of Ghosts and Dark Curiosities, Planet Cocoa Gingerbread Crunch oat milk chocolate, a grinch gingerbread, a mushroom snackbar sticker, a gingerbread soap, tiny ladybirds, a Sylvanian Families blind bag, Glossier rose balm dotcom universal salve, a sushi squishy, a box of tiny patisserie stickers, and a Stay Home duck lapel pin.
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And finally my presents. I was well and truly spoilt this year. So many gorgeous gifts: Vegemite socks, a christmas cat scourer sponge, a tiny giraffe fridge magnet, Lewis Chessmen stationery items from Edinburgh, a giraffe picture frame, Scottish Juniper Mood Water, vanilla cashews, personalised bottle of Corporal Johanna tomato sauce and worcestershire sauce, a tiny birthday cake, Lindt balls, a strawberry casserole dish, a very pretty bunny oven glove and more.
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and/or are enjoying some peace and rest during the festive season.
More Christmas food posts on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
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